Pictures From Austria
by goldenmoments
Summary: When a letter and a picture arrives from Hermione and Harry the inhabitants of Grindwauld Place all want to know why Ron isn't jealous.


Disclaimer: Its not mine.

Rating: G

Pairings: HG/RW mentions HP/CD

Warnings: Implied slash, Implied child abuse, Implied cutting, depression.

Summery: When a letter and a picture arrives from Hermione and Harry the inhabitants of Grindwauld Place all want to know why Ron isn't jealous.

Pictures From Austria

The letter arrived the night before Harry's 16th birthday. No one had heard from either Harry or Hermione since the day they'd disappeared into London after they had gotten of the train.

Everyone was letting it slide though since Voldemort had been injured so badly in the battle at the end of 5th year but still the only person completely fine with it was Ron. When asked why it didn't bother him that his best friends were missing (in theory) together he just smiled slightly and replied "You couldn't understand."

But then the letter had arrived along with a package filled with gifts and sweets and books. But most importantly of all was the short note dashed off from Hermione to Ron and the picture. The most beautiful picture Ron had ever seen.

The note itself made no sense to the Order. But it was addressed to Ron and to him it was clear as crystal.

_My dearest Ron,_

_I'm sorry you couldn't come along on are trip. Austria is beautiful you'd love it. Do you remember the time we screwed up the potion to develop moving pictures? I finally figured out how we did it. Listen closely_

_Always and Forever_

_Hermione_

He grinned and asked for the picture, reluctantly it was handed over. The picture itself showed the two teenagers, Hermione dressed in a blue dress Ron had bought her for Christmas, Harry in jeans and a button down top she was twirling around in front of a palace dancing and spinning around with Harry.

The picture appeared to be romantic in nature, which explained his mothers reluctance in handing it to him everyone knew he carried a torch for the girl. What they didn't know was that they had been together for almost a year but no one other than Harry was in on that secret.

He smiled again his girlfriend was beautiful her eyes sparkled with laughter and her hair shining in the bright sunlight. He slowly pulled out his wand to tap the picture twice. Suddenly a sound began to play.

"We have a tale Harrison Evans of an Austrian princesses who has lost her home, her family, and her way." she laughed "Enter a young orphaned kitchen boy alone, abused, and afraid. Together they fall in love in a tale of romance that will rock the very world." This time it was Harry who laughed.

"Hermione" he said quietly so very quietly Ron had to strain his ears to hear and there is was the words they had waited to hear for two years now. A smile they had waited to see for even longer. "I'm happy"

Ron whooped and punched his hand into the air.

"What are you so excited about? Your best friend is shacking up with your crush" "No hes not. Didn't you hear" Ron tapped it again "Listen" "So hes happy so what?" murmurs went around the room.

"You guys don't understand. You don't see him the way we do. You don't see our little brother. You don't see him cry, you don't see the cuts, you never wake up to hear him beg in his dreams, you've never seen him the way me and Mione do. Its horrible we have waited since the night Cedric died to hear him say that again. Thats over two years. Two years of forced smiles from him. Two years of fake laughter. We have been forced to watch are little brother cry and scream and rage and all we could do was sit by his side.

To you being the boy-who-lived or his friends means glory and special treatment. To us it means four hours of sleep a night and constant time spent in the library pouring over books. It means rushed homework and chess becomes a waste of time. It means trying to find a way to fight and keep as many people out of the crossfire as possible. Its not about recognition. Its a matter of are survival. Its about pain and suffering and tears from all of us as we watch the dreams Harry has of little girls and boys who are tortured to death for not being pure. It means having the whole school looking at you to save them.

So if for one moment in time Harry smiles like that or he freely laughs and says hes happy then I will be excited. Because I have reason to. Because you never see the scars he has on his back. You never saw the words his uncle carved into his skin. And you never got to see how absolutely in love Harry and Cedric were and what he lost when Ric died. And you probably will never have a chance to understand. But to us this makes everything worth it. To us this means we have a fighting chance."

With that said Ron quickly shrunk the picture, placed it in his pocket, and left the room to let them think about what he had said.

Somewhere in Austria a brother and sister danced one more time in front of the palace and told another couple the story of the princesses who had lost her way and the kitchen boy who helped her find it even though he was afraid in a love story that would rock the ages.

The End


End file.
